brahim, you are healthy and cheerful, by nature, so that this shock
will not be attended with any dangerous consequences. And you, wise
Ali," he continued, smiling, "I will see you again a year hence, and
learn whether you are then as wise as you are now." As soon as he had
concluded, he dismissed them, and sent them home laden with splendid
presents.

Hussain was an eye-witness of the scene. It may easily be conceived
how this sudden act of grace inflamed his hatred, and with what triumph
the father and son returned home again.

Ibrahim lived happily with his son, who applied himself anew, with
great industry, to the acquisition of knowledge. Once a slave came to
Ali's room and begged him to come down, as his father had purchased
something for him in the market. He went down accordingly, and was
much surprised at seeing a little, deformed creature, dressed as a
slave, standing before him. The little man wore a high hat, with a
cock's feather, on his head; his chest, as well as his back, formed a
hump; his squinting eyes were of a pale gray, like those of a cat; and
his nose hung over his mouth like a bunch of grapes, and was of a
violet colour. For the rest, he was cheerful, brisk, and healthy,
notwithstanding all his excrescences; and with his right eye, which was
triangular, he looked attentively at Ali, whilst the left was concealed
in the angle between the nose and forehead.

Whilst Ali stood wondering at this paragon of human ugliness, his
father could not suppress his laughter, and said: "Have I not been to
the market at a lucky moment? An hour afterwards it would have been
too late, so numerous were those who wished to purchase him. I owe it
to my prompt decision that I got him for two hundred pieces of gold.
Only think, my wise son, you lock yourself up within four walls, to
suck, like a bee, sweetness from old manuscripts; and yet this
hunchback slave, who never has had time to sit at home and pore over
books, is declared by the opinion of all connoisseurs, to be unequalled
in learning throughout Arabia and Persia. You may easily see it in
him; wisdom breaks forth in every part of him, and, therefore, great
must be the superfluity within! Take him with you; I present him to
you to assist you in your studies, and divert you in your hours of
leisure."

When Ali had returned to his room attended by his deformed slave, and
the latter saw the great quantity of books and parchments which laid
about i